Paella Valenciana

Sofregit is the most important thing about Paella, says Javier, who is from Valencia and is very very proud about making it properly.
Because Paella Valenciana can only be made one way, with only a few accepeted additions and perhaps substitutions. There are some things that must never be added. Pepper? No. Onions? No! Chorizo? Run for your life!!! Definitely NOT!!!

So what does goes in and how is it done?

Javier has eaten Paella Valenciana ever since he was born, every Sunday. Now he lives here in the UK, but keeps up the tradition as often as he can.  He has cooked many Paella's in his life and everyone, he says is slightly different. But the basic principles are the same and very strictly followed.

The Ingredients:

1 small Chicken, cut into pieces

1 Wild Rabbit, cut into pieces

7 Pork Ribs, chopped into pieces (I used a Meat Cleaver to chop through the bones. I would recommended getting a Butcher to do this if you haven't done it before)

10 Duck Filets

(These are the sort of meats that are accepted to go into this Paella. Snails are sometimes added. A mix is great or any combination of the above)

ca. 900g Paella Rice (no precise measurement as you will see later)

ca. 250ml Tomato Passata 

3 Garlic, cloves, chopped and left with the Tomato Passata (as they will go in together)

1 large Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips

a selection of green Beans, French Beans,  Runner Beans, Mange Tout, Broad Beans (that sort of thing)

Sweet Spanish Paprika (not the smoked one!)

Saffron ...... or this orange Food Colouring which is apparently ok to use. 

(I strongly disagree, but Javier says it's too expensive to use Saffron. Well my readers, what do you think? He is being so particular about this dish and then he is adding a Food Colouring? We must do something!!!! Should anyone have a spare couple of grams of Saffron laying around and would like to donate them to my flatmate, please let me know and it will be a worthwhile cause and greatly appreciated.)

Olive Oil for frying 

Water 

A few fresh sprigs of Rosemary

I also made a simple clear stock from the bones that where over after dividing the Chicken and Rabbit into the pieces and persuaded Javier that it should be added to the dish. Believe me, it took some persuading. Usually it should only be cold water. But since there was nothing 'foreign' in the stock, just the animals that are part of the dish, and I didn't want to waste any of their flavour, the stock was accepted. Phew!

So we put a suitable size Paella Pan onto its Burner and Olive Oil is added. Javier sprinkles the Oil with Salt. That is the sort of thing I could see myself doing for no particular reason, but I forgot to inquire why exactly he seasoned the Oil instead of the meat.

 

All the pieces of meat go in together and start to fry. Javier stirs and turns everything over continuously.

After about 10 minutes the meat is brown all over. At some point during this frying Javier added the sweet Paprika, I wasn't looking and missed it... 'Javi, how am I supposed to write your recipe when you do things secretly???' 

He pushes the meat towards the sides and adds the vegetables. I had to fish out the Mange Tout from the mix, like Cinderella, as it is too delicate to start cooking at this stage and will be added a bit later.

We have now reached the stage of the all important Sofregit. At the bottom of the pan all this stirring and frying creates a crust with all the little bits that get brown and caramelised and produce all the good flavour. He takes his time during this stage and I cautiously take a very close look, worried that it may get past the caramelised stage and start to burn. But when he adds the Tomatoes with the Garlic, the smell is just so amazingly delicious all my worries are gone and I am just swooning over the pan.

After a few more stirs and turns my wonderful stock goes in, followed by a lot of cold water. How much water? Well enough to cover the meat generously, I'd say. The dreaded food colouring is sprinkled over at this moment. You remember how I feel about it? Please consider checking your cupboards, we must get the boy some real Saffron!

Even Javier is impressed with colour that the stock and water has taken on now. All that 'sofreigiting' has payed off.

This stage is basically creating its own favourful stock and cooking the meat, so it will take about 30-40 minutes. During this time the stock will reduce to about 3 cm low, from the bottom of the pan. 

Oh and the Mange Tout also went in at this stage.

It is customary to ask the guests, friends or family who are eating, to come and taste the stock at this point, to decide if there is enough salt. When everyone is happy, the rice can go in.

The trick is to draw a line straight accross the middle of the pan with the rice, then distribute is gently all over, and then take the pan by it's handles and chimmy it around, so that all the rice is covering the bottom of the pan evenly. The little interfering me was quite sure it needed a bit more rice. So I sprinkled in a little more. Javier probably was rolling his eyes behind my back.

From now on the rice needs 11 minutes to cook. So check your watches everyone! Javi turns down all the burners to minimum. The Pan can now not be touched anymore. No more stirring, no more adding anything, not even water, because the other very important thing, is to create the famous and much desired crust on the bottom. The Socarrat. To achieve this the burners are turned back to high for just a few minutes at the end. With a keen nose you can hover over the pan and smell the toasty aroma, when it is done.

 As the rice was soaking up the water and it threatened to be going too dry too quickly, Javier took a couple of large wet cloth kitchen towels and covered the whole pan up with these, to stop the steam from escaping and help cook the rice. This little rescue method is not a mistake as such, but needn't have to be part of the making and was probably my fault as I had added that little bit of extra rice. I am including it here though, because I think it is a 'good tip to know'.

Just before serving a few sprigs of fresh Rosemary are placed around the Paella. The aroma and flavour that comes off from these is quite unexpectedly delicious.

The Paella is now served like this: 

The whole pan is placed on a wooden board in the middle of the table. Everyone gets a spoon and a side plate for the bones. Sitting around the pan, everyone literally eats from the same pan. Just start in your little corner and work your way towards the middle. I absolutely love this way of eating best about this whole dish.

Choucroute Garnie - Sauerkraut with Sausages

Alsas, tucked away in the North eastern Corner of France is famous for Alsations, Riesling, Quiche Lorraine, Kugelhopf and this dish, Choucroute Garnie. 

It is one of those recipes like Cassoulet, that can have ingredients varied or left out to your personal taste, but basically it is a slow cooked Sauerkraut with the addition of meats and sausages.

My recipe is a totally easy one pot delight, made with a few exotic ingredients from my local Cornershop in the multiculti South of England and some leftover roast Pork Belly.

Into a nice big Dutch oven go my Ingredients:

(serves 3 greedy Meat Feasters- never mind the WeightWatchers points, -about 17-)

3 thick slices of Roast Pork Belly or other 'cheap' cuts of Pork (Ribs, Knuckle, Hock)

6 thick slices of Smoked Bacon

3 Sausages suitable for braising (mine are of the Polish persuasion and are called Slesian Sausages)

1 Glass of Sauerkraut (500g) (yes they sell all this in my local Cornershop! Isn't it great?)

9 small Potatoes, whole with skin

3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

3 Bayleaves

6 All Spice Berries

3 Cloves

6 Juniper Berries

a pinch of Pepper

1 tbs Brown Sugar

1 Glass of White Wine (yes, Riesling would be the ideal one)

1- 2 Cups of Chicken Stock

Everything goes in the Pot together with the Chicken stock added until nearly at the top. Now it will spend at least 1 1/2 hours in a medium hot oven, but longer is better. If I was using a joint like Hock or such, then I'd cook that beforehand and the use liquor as stock, yumm yumm.

When ready to serve just divide the Sauerkraut, Potatoes, Sausages and Meats into equal amounts for the 3 servings and dollop a little German, French or indeed Alsatian Mustard on the Side.

The smell of Choucroute Garnie cooking in the Oven makes everyone's mouth water. Even the neighbors!

Bon Apetit!

Cochinita Pibil (Mayan Roast Pork)

This was my most fabulous discovery in Mexico. 

The ancient way of cooking this dish under hot stones or even buried in the ground underneath a firepit is what makes this so extra special. If only I had a field handy or even just a garden I would give it a go! But my oven will have to do the trick in my case.

Ingredients:

1 Pork Shoulder (skin removed but bone in)

100g Achiote Paste (Annatto seed based)

Juice of 4 small Limes

Juice of 1-2 Oranges

25 ml Tequila

Mix together the achiote paste with the lime, orange and tequila.

Prik the pork with a small knife all over to allow the marinade to seep into the flesh.

Paint the achiote marinade all over the Pork Shoulder.

Line a suitable dish with Banana Leaf and place the Pork inside.

Pour the rest of the marinade all over.

Wrap the pork up in the banana leaves and let it marinade for 24 hours.

The Citrus juices in the marinade will start to tenderise the meat.

To serve with the Cochinita I made a Habanero and red Onion Salsa

1 Red Onion, sliced

1 red Habanero Chilli

Juice of 1 Lime

Juice of 1 Orange

Sea Salt to taste

Mix and leave to mascerate for several hours.

The next day wrap the Pork including the banana leaves up in tinfoil and place on a baking sheet in a 170C oven for 3 - 4 hours.

Low and slow cooking will make the pork fall of the bone.

Shred the meat with 2 forks and garnish with some of the Onion Habanero Salsa.

Warm some Tortillas, by wrapping in tinfoil and placing in the oven for 10 minutes.

Everyone can help themselves and make some Tortilla wraps. Don't forget to add the Onion Salsa.

I have to admit, this is really amazing. Crispy Peking Duck has serious competition here!!!!

Mecklenburger Stuffed Pork

Now here is something you don't see very often. A German Recipe...

Yes, we know French, Italian, Mexican and Chinese Cuisine and probably can all name a few of our favourite dishes from each. But what do we know about German cuisine?
I knew it. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut.

Here is a bonus picture of the Castle from my Hometown Schwerin :-)

I am on a mission to educate the world (well mainly the British actually) about some interesting dishes from my heritage. This one you can probably only find in Auntie Helga's Backyard Restaurant in Northern Germany. It is a very regional dish from the area I was born in, Mecklenburg. Once Helga is no more I fear this dish will also disappear. Maybe you would like to try it before and discover it is really very yummly.

Ingredients for the Pork and Stuffing:

3 thick sliced Pork Loin (another cut can be used and stuffed whole or as individual Portions as I am doing today)

1 Apple (from Neighbour's Garden)

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 small tsp Natural Sugar

a pinch of Cinnamon

5 Pitted Prunes

30g Breadcrumbs

Salt and Pepper

To make the stufing, cut the prunes and apple into small dice and mix with the breadcrumbs, Sugar, Cinnamon and Lemon Zest.

How are your butchering skills? No good? Get the Butcher to do it!

Make an incision on one side of the Pork and cut a cavity like that of a Pita bread into each Chop.

Try to leave a small incision but make a good cavity, without cutting through any other sides.

Fill the stuffing mix into the Pork Chops and secure the opening with a wooden toothpick.

My Grandma, would have used needle and thread and sown the whole thing up. Especially if it was a bigger Joint!

Season the Chops now with Salt and Pepper ready to roast.

Ingredients for the Sauce:

1/2 Onion, chopped

1/2 Carrot finely diced

1/2 Leek (the white part) chopped

a small piece of Celeriac Root, finely diced

500ml Beef Stock

1tsp Tomato Puree

a sprig of Thyme

1tbs Plain Flour to thicken

Fry the Pork Loins on both sides until nicely browned, then remove from the pan and rest on a plate.

Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and sautee, scraping all the bits from the pan that have stuck to the bottom. Use a little stock to deglace and keep sauteeing until everything is getting a nice colour. Take your time to do this as it will enhance the depth of flavour of the Sauce.

Pour in the Stock and bring back to a simmer, before returning the Pork.

Place this into a 200 degree Oven and roast without a lid for 45 minutes. Turn the meat over half way. If it was a bigger Joint, keep turning and basting a few times and increase the cooking time.

Take the Chops out and leave them to rest on a plate. Cover them with tin foil to keep warm.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of Flour into the sauce and mix it in with a whisk.

Once thickened, taste and see if it needs any more seasoning.

I have to say the sauce is so rich and full of flavour, absolutely divine!

Push the Sauce through a sieve (is what my Grandma would have done) or like me, use a blender to puree the vegetables and make it smooth.

Serve this dish with Braised Red Cabbage and boiled Parsley Potatoes.

This is what it looks like once cut into it... I think this might be my new favourite way to eat Pork Chops! Long live Helga the patron of all proper German Food.